The Question
by pottercheese
Summary: Lily and James are in there seventh year at Hogwarts. James wants to marry Lily, but there are so many things stopping that from happening, so will they ever be together?
1. Chapter 1

Lily and James had spent the whole summer together, and they loved each other dearly, he knew it was time to ask her the question.

They were both sitting on a small ornate, white bench, in a beautiful rose garden, with tall trees, filled with blossom surrounding them. The perfect setting.

"Lily," said James, turning to her, "I have to ask you a question."

"Ok," said Lily, with a smile, "what is it?"

James got off his seat, and knelt down on one knee

"Lily Evans, will you marry me," he said.

"Oh…." Said Lily, completely shocked, "I'm sorry, but ill have to say no,"

"What do you mean no!" said James, who had fallen on the floor, and landed on his bottom.

"I'm just not ready to be married," sighed Lily, sounding sad, "Sorry." She then walked away, blowing him a kiss.

James just sat there on his bottom, on the grass, and his eyes began to well up. He knew he shouldn't cry but he had to, so he did. Suddenly lots of people who were in there year at Hogwarts jumped out from behind the trees.

"Congratulations," they cheered. They had obviously not realised what had happened.

"Guys, that is just so stupid," shouted James, glaring at them with his tear streamed face. "She said no, then you come jumping out telling me congratulations, and you were only supposed to do that if she said yes, so do you think I wanted you to do that, because things are still tense!"

"But we didn't reali….." the guy was cut off from talking,

"Just leave me alone," shouted James

"But were sorry," said the guy

"SHUT UP," screamed James

"I guess we should leave him then," said the girl behind the guy, who must have been his girlfriend.

"Yes do what she says," muttered James.

They all left James alone to cry about his loss.

Later that day, when he had calmed down, he went to a muggle jewellery shop. In the window, a bright green emerald ring, sat behind the glass, in the middle of four diamond rings. He knew the ring was perfect; it would go so well with Lily's lovely emerald green eyes.

As he opened the door to the shop, a little bell rung, and a guy came towards the counter, his name tag said Bill.

"Excuse me," said James, "there is something in the window I was thinking of buying."

Bill followed James out of the shop, and pointed to the little emerald ring.

"Ah, that ones a beauty, is it for ye girlfriend?" asked Bill, he had a Scottish accent, so he was obviously Scottish.

"Kind of, yes, I asked her to marry me, but she said no, and I forgot to give her a ring when I proposed, so I thought if I gave her a ring to go with the proposal she might change her mind," explained James.

"You're a bit young to be proposing aren't ya lad," said Bill

"I'm 18, im not that young," protested James

"Oh sorry lad," chuckled Bill, then he stopped, "well if you want my advice, a ring wont buy her back, but you could always try. To be honest, if you know she loves you, and she says no, there must be a good reason, what did she say to you,"

"That she wasn't ready," answered James

"Well, I don't think that's the reason at all lad, me wife said that, because her parents didn't want me to marry her," said Bill

"Well her parents like me," said James

"Well then, you had better keep an eye out for what's wrong then," said Bill, handing him his ring, which he had put in a little box for him."

"So how much do I owe you," said James, reaching into his pocket.

"Don't worry lad, keep it, have it for free," said Bill, smiling at James.

"Why thank you sir," said James, walking out of the shop with the ring in his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day everyone was arriving at Hogwarts for the start of a new school year. Through the crowds of people, he saw the back of Lily's head, with her red hair streaming down her back, so he ran to her.

"Lily, hi," said James

"Oh hi," muttered Lily, keeping her head to the floor, not even bothering to look at James.

"What's wrong?" asked James, with the ring box behind his back

"You know perfectly well James," snapped Lily, finally looking up

"Well ive got something to cheer you up," said James, showing her the ring box

"James Potter, please don't say you're proposing to me AGAIN!" shouted Lily, "I said no,"

"Well… I kind of bought the ring to see if you would change your mind about marrying me," said James, getting on his knees and wrapping his arms round her legs, " please marry me," he kept moaning

She stooped down and grabbed the ring box from his hand.

"Ill take the ring," she said, "but I can't marry you, im sorry, ill be your girlfriend for a bit, but if you want to be anything more than that, I guess we can't even be that."

He still clung to her legs so she took out her wand.

"Stupify," she said, pointing the wand at him, and a red bolt of light quickly hit him, and his lost his grip on her legs and let go, and then he flew back. He hit the wall, and curled up in a little ball, and began to cry.

People began to point at him as they went past, and started calling him a baby, an idiot, but he didn't seem to care, all he wanted was Lily.

For the rest of the day Lily ignored him completely. To her it was like he didn't even exist. He felt lonely without her, despite being friends with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who could keep him company through out the day.

Later on in the day, he bumped into Lily, some of James books, toppled on the floor, but Lily just turned her nose up at him and continued to walk. James quickly picked up all him books, and then noticed that Lily had also dropped something, a small notebook. He knew exactly what it was, it was one of Lily's many diaries, and this was her latest one. He decided he might read it before he returned it to her, and luckily it was unprotected. He opened it to the last time it was written in, which was the day before. It read….

Dear diary

I know I shouldn't be so harsh on James,

But it's the best way to stop him from wanting to marry me

Though now im starting to think me being harsh on him will make him more determined

The problem is, I really want to marry James, but I just can't

I have been arranged to marry Severus for years now, even though I don't love him

But I have to

I hope I can get out of this.

James never knew this. She had been keeping this arranged marriage a secret from her for all the time he dated her, she could have at least told him!


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, James saw Lily, and she seemed much more cheerful!

"Hi James," she said cheerfully

The only problem was, James was not in a good mood after reading the diary

"I know your secret," he snapped

"Oh well, I was about to say can we be friends, but if we must start like that we will," said Lily, "so, how did you find out?"

"This," he said, handing her the diary

"You twit you read it!" shouted Lily

"Well what did you expect me to do with your diary, and anyway why didn't you tell me?" asked James

"I just couldn't," replied Lily

"I understand, but it's easy to get out of an arranged marriage you know," said James

"Its not easy James," snapped Lily "My parents were threatened by Severus's parents, and now I cant get out of it, and I wont even bother telling you the full story,"

"Well I hate you then," shouted James, "You won't explain anything to me, and I was your boyfriend!"

He then ran to his dorm and began to cry on his bed. He finally noticed his phone beside his bed, and knew who to call. He dialled the number.

"Hello," said the voice on the other end of the phone

"Mum," said James, "Please can you pick me up,"

"Why darling?" asked his Mum

"I am suffering from a serious broken heart, and someone's lack of trust and I don't feel I can cope any more, Mum please take me home," rambled James, sobbing

"Sweetie, is it really that bad?" asked his Mum

"Yes," replied James

"Oh ok, I'll inform Dumbledore and pick you up tomorrow, but your only off for a week," said his Mum

"Thanks Mum," said James, "if I was with you id give you a hug!"

"Your welcome James," said his Mum, finally putting the phone down.

The next day James had packed, and was ready to go home. He waited by the doors, then he saw a face in front of him.

"Hey," said Lily, "sorry for not explaining properly yesterday."

James ignored her, he still hated her.

"I just came to explain fully before you go," she said

Still no answer.

"James will you just answer me," she shouted, "im sorry!"

"I don't want to answer you," replied James

"Stop being so harsh on me, I just came to tell you why," she said, sitting down next to him. "It was a few years ago, and my parents were friends with Severus's family, then there was a big argument over who I should marry, so Severus's parents forced my parents to make the unbreakable vowel, for me to marry Severus, is that better."

"Thanks for explaining you could have done it yesterday though, but you shouldn't marry him still," muttered James, still angry.

"WHAT!" shouted Lily, "you expect my parents to die?"

A woman appeared in the doorway, it was James mum.

"You leave him alone young lady, you caused enough trouble already. Leave now unless you want me to hurt you," she shouted, making Lily run off crying, as James mum took him away.


End file.
